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St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church
Our Mission: "To Love, Praise, Welcome and Serve"
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Fourth Sunday in Advent
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December 24 , 2017
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Please welcome back The Rev. Vesta Kowalski
who will preside at our service this Sunday.
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| Click Logo for December 15th Edition |
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The Episcopal Church of the Province of New England
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Sunday, December 24, 2017
10 am: Holy Eucharist
Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Advent
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Readings for Christmas Day:
(Please see scripture Notes for both days Below)
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On the Calendar
Sunday, December 24 - 10am Holy Eucharist with The Rev. Vesta Kowalski
- Greening of the Church following the Service
- 4pm Christmas Eve Ecumenical Service,
Saunders Memorial Congregational Church, Little Deer Isle
Monday, December 25 Christmas Day - 4pm Seamark Christmas Dinner
All are welcome!
- No Silent Meditation today
Wednesday, December 27 - 5pm Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, December 28 - 4pm Service in Remembrance of the Massacre of
the
Innocents
Sunday December 31 - 10am Holy Eucharist with The Rev Stephen Hayward
- Lessons and Carols -
up-to-date information.
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Christmas Eve Ecumenical Service
All are invited to attend an island-wide
Christmas Eve ecumenical service
Sunday afternoon at 4pm at the Saunders Memorial Congregational Church,
46 Eggemoggin Road in Little Deer Isle.
Several island churches will be participating in the interdenominational service which will include traditional scripture readings and Christmas carols, culminating
in the lighting of individual candles and singing of 'Silent Night.'
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Holy Innocents Day Service
Holy Innocents Day is a major commemoration in the Episcopal lectionary that recalls the story in the Gospel of Matthew telling of Herod's massacre
of all young children after the birth of Jesus. Congregations rarely have an
opportunity to hold a service honoring this event. We at St. Brendan's will
hold a lay-lead service of reflection on Thursday, December 28, at 4:00 p.m
in memory of Holy Innocents because we believe holy innocent murdered
children deserve at least one day of worship in our calendar year.
Please join with us; all are welcome.
The Worship & Music Ministry
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St. Brendan the Navigator
Parish Renewal Plan
Parish Renewal Plan Report
#4
Three Goals Accomplished, Six Goals In Process of Being Accomplished,
Two Goals
Yet to be Addressed (as of 11/30/17)
To Review Renewal Plan Report #4,
please click link below:
Please click on the link below for the Parish Renewal Plan in detail, as approved by the Parish August 13, 2017:
The Plan is also available on our web site:
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Your Stewardship committee is
grateful for those pledges received to-date.
For those who have not yet pledged, please do so and help support St.Brendan's
as we work together to carry out our mission, ministries and grow as a church family.
The Stewardship Committee
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A Note and Update from Fr. Edward Dufresne...
Thank you for requesting an update on how I'm doing following surgery. The operation was very successful, and, when a course of chemotherapy is completed by next Spring, my physicians expect that I'll be completely cured.
Meanwhile, I'm undergoing a surprisingly slow and painful recovery from the extensive surgery. Over the years, I've often reflected and sometimes preached in
a theoretical way on the meaning of suffering. Now, facing the reality, I see enduring pain as a school for compassion. In everything there is a gift.
I thank you all for your many expressions of support, encouragement and love. They are a goad to healing! May the Gift that comes in Christmas bring joy to
us all. We have much to be grateful for!
Please convey my gratitude to and appreciation for the wonderful people at St. Brendan's. I wish you all a blessed Christmas.
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Scripture Notes for the Fourth Sunday in Advent
The central figure in today's liturgy is the Blessed Virgin Mary
and her vocation
as the human instrument of the Incarnation.
Today's Gospel is the account of the Annunciation, when Gabriel announced to the Virgin that
God had chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah. Mary's humble obedience, "Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word..." is the model for Christian
living.
The first reading today is the promise God made to David to establish his line as
kings over God's people. This promise to raise up a new king of David's lineage was understood by Jews in
the first century as a promise to send the Messiah.
In the second reading today Paul concludes his letter to the Church in Rome. He expresses the
early Christian proclamation that in Christ the clouded meaning of the Old Testament prophecies
has been revealed. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God's plan has been made clear
and the hints of that plan in the writings of
the prophets have been fulfilled.
Christians gather in the liturgy to remember our story: a story which goes back through the ages.
The central actor is always God, who acts in history to lead all the creation into the Kingdom.
God, who acted in the lives of people in the past such as David and the blessed Virgin, continues
to act today in our lives. The Eucharist is the moment of encounter with God in which, like Mary, we respond, "Yes, let it be done
to me according to your word."
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Scripture Notes for Christmas Day:
Christians throughout the world celebrate on this day the birth of
our Savior. We welcome people of every race and tongue and faith to this celebration. We invite
you to participate fully and to join us in rejoicing at the birth of him who is the fulfillment of the
deepest and best hopes of all people and all faiths.
In the birth of Christ, we celebrate more than an idea, more than a philosophical
truth. We
celebrate that at a specific time and place He through whom all was
created came to be part of
His own creation and began His life among us as one
of us. "In the days of Caesar
Augustus...when Quirinius was governor of Syria...
in the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem."
That which Isaiah in the seventh century B.C. hoped for, came, bringing light to
the nations.
"Unto us a child is born...his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Paul, in writing to Titus, reminds him that the coming of
Christ into the world calls
us to a new life, a life of uprightness and godliness as we prepare for
Christ's return.
In story, song, word, and sacrament, we celebrate this coming and answer to God's call to be his
People - to return to him who is the source of our life and salvation
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From
The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year
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Copyright © 2009 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.
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In Our Prayers
We pray for those on our prayer list suffering and recovering from illnesses especially Rev. Edward Dufresne, William Rice Sr., Elaine Graham, Patricia P,
Pat Stoneburner, Tony Stoneburner, Kathy Gray, Holly, Carolyn Angel, Colin MacNaught, Nancy Stearns, Andrew Harriman, Tom Davenport, Hannah Scaife, Marcia Scott, Sen. John McCain, Henry 'Hank' Millon, Jennifer Hulsey and her family Byron, Ben, and Claire. We pray, also, for those who love and care for them.
We pray for those struggling with addiction and mental illness.
We pray for all those receiving care through Neighbor Care and for all the residents of the Island Nursing Home, the Northern Bay Residential Facility,
and their families.
We pray for the dying, and those who have died. We remember also those who mourn.
We pray for the victims of gun violence-in our cities and towns, in our schools, in our places of worship, and in our homes.
We pray for the victims of the violence of armed conflicts around the world. We pray for those made refugees by the violence of armed conflicts. We pray for the victims of terrorist attacks everywhere.
We pray for all who suffer the effects of domestic violence and the violence
of bullying in our schools.
We pray for all peacemakers, and all those who work for justice.
We pray for all those serving in the armed forces of our country, remembering, especially, Craig, Chris, Graham, and Caleb.
We pray for all who govern, and we pray for the concerns of our local community, remembering, especially, our children, our young people, and our isolated elderly.
We pray for Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Suheil, Bishop of Jerusalem; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Steve, our Bishop; for the members of our vestry; and for all our members, whose ministries are varied and far-reaching.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for
the congregations of St. Michael's, Auburn and Trinity, Lewiston. For those who advocate for the poor, the lonely and the oppressed.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for
Yola - (Jos, Nigeria)
On the Island and Peninsula,
we pray for Church of Jesus Christ, Restoration Branch, Sunset.
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Icon of St. Brendan by Siri Beckman
Lord, I will trust you.
Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways and break new ground with you.
Christ of the mysteries, I trust you to be stronger than each storm
within me.
I will trust in the darkness and know that my times are in your hand.
Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for you.
-Prayer attributed to St. Brendan
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Contact Information
St. Brendan the Navigator
627 North Deer Isle Road
Deer Isle, ME 04627
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 305, Deer Isle, ME 04627
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 12-5pm
Emergency Contacts:
Vestry Members:
Elisabeth Ingoldsby, Senior Warden
Tel: Home: 207-348-2586 / Cell: 207-266-4541
Josephine Jacob, Junior Warden
Tel: 207-348-6997 / Cell: 207-664-4884
josephinejacob30
@gmail.com
Pete Dane-Treasurer 348-5245
Barbara Kourajian-Clerk 326-9153
Rich Paget 367-6569
Miriam Antich 348-7745
Peter Tarlton 348-9908
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